Industrial CT scanning continues to gain popularity for use in measurements. The real question to be asked is: Is the data extracted from CT scans accurate? Since its inception, CT scanning has been used to visualize internal structures from people to industrial items. It is unparalleled in its ability to see those things that are hidden inside an assembly. It is also important for measuring the effects of an assembly in its assembled state. Using CT data to provide accurate measurements has always been around but there was no universally agreed upon ways to ensure the validity of the measurements.

Every day, we in industry find ourselves in need of verifying the parts we have designed and built. Part of this verification comes in the forms of physical testing, as well as measurement and analysis. Whether you are looking at a prototype component or have a need to create an inspection plan for a production component, you will need someone who is proven capable in the science of measurement, otherwise known as the field of metrology. A simple Google search will reveal that there seems to be no lack of companies offering the services of metrology.

Since shortly after X-Rays were discovered in 1895 they have been widely used in many diverse applications. The medical field was an early adopter of this technology, using X-Rays throughout the world within the first year. As it developed in medicine other uses emerged on the industrial side.

With the advent of new ways of creating medical implants that promote bone ingrowth, an updated method of evaluating their effectiveness should be employed. 3D Printed Additive manufacturing and other creative manufacturing techniques have been developed to create porous structures that promote bone ingrowth. Traditionally, the effectiveness of these structures is tested by taking 2D cross sections of harvested implants and applying calculations to define pore size and interconnectivity. In this way, researchers can test and compare the Osteoconduction ability of the new structure.Continue Reading →

With the addition of our latest CMM, the Zeiss O-Inspect 863, we are now able to measure large volumes of parts with the high measurement accuracy that the system’s white light focal sensor, camera and scanning probe have to offer.Continue Reading →

We often have to capture data for parts that have thin edges such as on turbine blades, airfoils, propeller cores, and many other items. This proposes an interesting problem, it is very common for these items to have tolerances that require them to be scanned using our structured light systems but wrapping data around these thin or “sharp” edges to bridge data from both sides of the part is very difficult.Continue Reading →

In the past year 3D Engineering Solutions acquired a Zeiss O-Inspect 863. The unit is a state of the art optical / tactile inspection system that adds to our scope of accreditation, for ISO 17025, a capability to measure parts on a scale that we were unable to accomplish prior to having this equipment.Continue Reading →

https://www.3d-engineering.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Utilizing-the-Zeiss-O-Inspect-863_1.jpg460558Matt Caskeyhttps://www.3d-engineering.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/3d-engineering-logo.pngMatt Caskey2018-08-15 17:10:062018-09-20 17:10:57Seeing your part through a different lens – Utilizing the Zeiss O-Inspect 863 for optical inspections down to a hairs width

When doing a dimensional inspection of a machine part, the print often has callouts for position that use three datum, most often datums A, B and C. This ABC datum structure is the datum reference frame to which geometric dimensions and tolerances of the part are defined.Continue Reading →

ABOUT AUTHOR

Rob Glassburn

I am a registered Professional Engineer and Vice President of Operations at 3D Engineering Solutions in Cincinnati, Ohio. I’ve spent my whole career in the engineering world and attained certifications in Tolerance Stacks and GD&T, and Six Sigma Green Belt (DFSS and DMAIC).

Before joining 3D Engineering Solutions, I worked for Texas Instruments and 3M. Currently at 3D Engineering, a lot of the projects I’m working on involve 3D laser scanning, structured light scanning, reverse engineering, CAD modeling and long range laser scanning.